Cyber safety for every generation

Slow the moment down. Almost every scam needs you to act fast.

• Never share an OTP code with anyone. Your bank will never ask for it, not on a call, not in a message.
• If a call says a loved one urgently needs money, hang up and call that person back on their usual number.
• Agree a family safe word for any request involving money or accounts.
• Do not click links in SMS about parcels, prizes or blocked accounts. Go to the official app or website yourself.
• Let a trusted family member turn on automatic updates on your phone and computer.
• It is never rude to hang up, and it is never too embarrassing to tell your family. Fast reporting saves money.

Talk first, tools second. Controls work best when kids know why they exist.

• Set up parental controls together and explain what they do, rather than installing them secretly.
• Know the apps: check age ratings and who your child can talk to inside games and apps.
• Keep gaming and chats in shared spaces when kids are young, and devices out of bedrooms overnight.
• Teach the screenshot rule early: anything typed or shared can be kept forever by someone else.
• Make it safe to tell you when something goes wrong online. No punishment for honesty.
• Review the privacy settings on school apps and platforms the same way you would any other account.

You are not paranoid, you are skilled. These habits are what pros do too.

• Never share passwords, even with friends. A best friend today can log in tomorrow.
• If a stranger asks to move the chat to another app, stop and tell an adult you trust.
• Free skins, gift cards and giveaway links in game chats are almost always traps.
• Turn on two-factor authentication on your first accounts. It is the seatbelt of the internet.
• Screenshots last forever. Post as if a future you is watching.
• Block, report, and tell someone. Dealing with it alone is the only wrong move.

Five habits cover most of it. None of them need technical skill.

• Use a password manager and a different password for every account.
• Turn on two-factor authentication everywhere it is offered, starting with email and banking.
• Install updates when they appear. Most attacks exploit holes that were already fixed.
• Verify any request for money or credentials on a second channel before acting.
• Back up the things you cannot afford to lose.
• If you are compromised: change the password, alert your bank, and report it. In Pakistan, the FIA National Response Centre for Cyber Crime (NR3C) takes reports.